From February 2016 new rules are coming into force in the UK which may have an impact on you as an international student. Landlords will be required to check the immigration status of their tenants before the tenancy starts. In short, this means that Landlords will be legally bound to check that you have the right to stay in the UK.

What does this mean?

As a landlord should not allow you to occupy a property until you have proven you have the ability to stay in the UK, you will need to provide suitable proof of identity. This proof could be your passport (if you are a student from the EU, for example) or a passport with a suitable visa or a biometric residence permit, which indicates the amount of time you are able to stay in the uk. You can find a comprehensive list of acceptable forms of identity here . It is important to be aware that the landlord will need to see the originals of these documents.

Exemptions

There are some exemptions and these include Halls of Residence. All halls will be exempt, whether they are University or Privately owned. Also the new rules will apply to new tenancy agreements, so existing agreements are not included in the new arrangements. If you have any questions on this area or need help finding a place to stay get in touch with us here.